Ah, post-season baseball as it should be: Dominating starting pitching rules the day; teams without starting pitching rue the day. May the better pitching win the World Series. The question is: Who has the better pitching? Well, on paper, SF has the better 1-2-3 starting pitching punch, beginning with 2-time Cy Young Tim Lincecum (who outdueled No-Hitter Halladay), followed by Matt Cain, who has yet to give up an earned run in the post-season, then two lefties (Texas hits lefties worse than righties). So SF wins, right? Maybe, but not so fast.

Cliff Lee’s post-season left-handed pitching has been downright Koufaxian, no, Ruthian. So, although Lincecum could win Game 1 by outdueling Lee (like he did Halladay), changing the World Series calculus, it’s more likely that Cliff Lee is done losing for the season, in which case, Texas looks to become world champions.

SF has enough pitching, starting pitching anyway, to send the World Series to 6 or 7 games, but in the end, it looks to be better to have one all-time-great post-season stud, 2-3 other good starters, and a powerful lineup, than to have a great 1-2-3 punch, but with a mostly punchless offense.

SF may well be title contenders again next year, as they have the best young starting pitching in basball, but this year it’s the Lee-Hamilton show. While Texas still has them anyway.

And, we’re talking history folks. Never before or since will the World Series and Super Bowl be hosted in Texas in the same year.

PS: Although Roysaidit had SF losing to Philly, note this comment: “This series could go long as both teams have terrific starting pitching.”

PS2: At least the Texas over Yankees prediction was correct.

PS3: How about Bengie Molina getting a World Series ring no matter who wins, as he was traded from SF to Texas. Talk about destiny!

So there I was, Saturday afternoon, helping my daughter put her shoes on after gymnastics class and I overhear one parent say to another: “Good luck tonight.” I look up, and guess who’s there picking up his daughter? Yankee Manager Joe Girardi. Now I’m a Mets fan of course, but it is pretty cool that, on the afternoon of a playoff game day no less, Girardi is picking up his daughter from class. Good for you Joe!

First game matchup between Roy Halladay (first round: no-hitter) and Tim Lincecum (first round: two-hitter, with 14 Ks) could be one for the ages. But Halladay gets to face a much weaker lineup. This series could go long as both teams have terrific starting pitching.

Texas over Yankees.

Let’s say Texas splits the first two, Cliff Lee continues being Cliff Lee, then Texas splits the next two and, voila, Cliff Lee can wrap it up in Game 6. But if Yanks win any game Lee starts, that’s all folks.

Updated World Series Prediction: Philly v. Texas

Winner: Still Philadelphia (although it would be hard to bet against Cliff Lee).

This should be a close, highly contested series. Both teams have the starting pitching to go far in the post-season, but SF’s is younger and has home field. And shouldn’t it burn Mets fans that their own closer, Francisco Rodriguez, is at home with a self-inflicted wounded pitching hand from punching the grandfather of his kids, while their former closer, Billy Wagner, had a great year closing for the Braves and is now in the playoffs.

Tampa Bay over Texas

The winner here may well go to the World Series. Texas has the better offense, but Tampa literally runs deeper. And good for former Met Jeff Francoeur, getting to play for a winner.